The Land Rover Icarus Roof Conversion by Alu-Cab Makes Overlanding Accessible

August was autoevolution’s Expedition Vehicles Month and, throughout it, we’ve discussed some of the most elaborate and impressive overlanding rigs built by private individuals or made commercially available by specialized companies. Options also exist for those who like neither.

Not all adventurers want a great deal of trouble or too big of an expense when they’re getting their overlander ready for the next outing. For those who only need the proverbial roof over their head, a bed to sleep in and the convenience of not adding too much weight to the vehicle, an Icarus roof conversion kit could be just the thing.

Overlanding is more about the passion of exploring new locations and not about carrying the home comforts with you. The two can – and do – co-exist but are not mutually exclusive. For those for whom adventure ranks first, the Icarus conversion is just the thing: it’s comparatively cheaper, it’s easy to install and provides the basics. And a bit more.

The Icarus roof conversion is available as a kit for Land Rover Defender 110 from 1984 onwards, from South African company Alu-Cab. It’s been on the market since 2017, with the more recent version offering a series of benefits over the usual go-to rooftop tent: it doesn’t raise the vehicle’s center of gravity, it allows parking in underground spaces, it allows for a luggage rack on top, and can be accessed from inside the vehicle.

The Icarus all-out camper solution can sleep two people on a two-layer thick mattress. It is made to deploy within seconds, thanks to gas-pressure springs, and offers access inside the sleeping area right from within the vehicle. According to Alu-Cab, this gives Icarus the edge over pop-up tents, because it means you no longer have to climb an exterior ladder to get to your “bedroom” and, if the weather is bad, you won’t have to go outside to get back into the vehicle, where the storage / kitchen area is.

The surface on which the camper sits can be raised, thus elevating the roof of the Defender to allow standing position. Packing your sleeping things or even clothes is no longer a problem, because you can simply put everything away with the camper. This sounds like permission to make a mess in your bedroom, and it’s probably just that: after all, you’re out to explore the world, not stress out about neatly folding your PJs.

The Icarus camper is made of aluminum, with dual-layer 400 gram UV resistant rib lock waterproof canvas with sealed seams. Polyethylene closed-cell foam and insulating quilt are used for insulation, and you get windows / large openings that open downwards (for ventilation even in bad weather) and integrated mosquito nets. The carpet under the mattress is dirt-repellent. You also get LED reading lights and ambient lights, in both white and red.

Weighing in at 125 kg (275.5 pounds), the Icarus roof conversion won’t mess with your Defender’s center of gravity or aerodynamics, given its compact size. Installation is done at a specialized center in just two days, and just as importantly, the conversion is reversible. Whenever you wish to move it to another Defender or restore your car to its original status, you go back and ask to have it taken out.

Alu-Cab describes the Icarus roof conversion as the “dream tree house,” in the sense that it can turn any stretch of land into a sleep-ready campsite – minus the foliage, of course. “Overlanding has never been so easy, so convenient, and so unbelievably capable. It’s the ultimate overland solution for the ultimate overland vehicle,” the company says.

Prices for the Icarus start at around $11,000, so you won’t have to break the bank to indulge in your overlanding fantasy. The downside (not everything can be positives, right?) is that, with Icarus, you can only spend longer stretches off-road if you’re willing to rough it up or, at best, invest more money into other add-ons and modifications to make your vehicle more self-sufficient.